Nightblade's Vengeance (Blades of the Fallen Book 1) Read online

  ALSO BY RYAN KIRK

  The Nightblade Series

  Nightblade

  World’s Edge

  The Wind and the Void

  The Primal Series

  Primal Dawn

  Primal Darkness

  Primal Destiny

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2017 by Waterstone Media

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by 47North, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon.com, the Amazon logo, and 47North are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781542047326

  ISBN-10: 1542047323

  Cover design by Katie Anderson

  To Katie,

  The most wonderful wife and mother

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Prologue

  Osamu sensed the prince before he heard him. Yoshi, the future monarch of the Kingdom, had a distinctive presence, strong and vibrant even in a crowd. Osamu poured a second cup of sake and set it down. Yoshi picked it up in one smooth motion as he sat down next to the nightblade.

  “I don’t know why I think I’ll ever be able to sneak up on you. I keep thinking that someday your guard will be down, and I’ll be there, right behind you.”

  Osamu raised his cup in Yoshi’s direction. “May we both live long enough to see the day.”

  Yoshi mirrored Osamu’s gesture, and they sipped at the sake silently.

  After a while, Yoshi made a show of inspecting the cup. “It tastes better than it did yesterday.”

  “Your senses are heightened. Even my cooking would taste good tonight.”

  Yoshi laughed, a soft sound on a quiet night. The mood over the camp was somber, given that all gathered knew the work they would be undertaking the next morning.

  Curiosity lighting up his face in the firelight, the prince looked at Osamu. “Is it the same for you? Is your sense heightened when danger is near?”

  Osamu didn’t speak. He just nodded slowly.

  Osamu had a question for the prince, but despite the cycles of their friendship, he hesitated to ask. A sip of sake gave him the courage.

  “Are you going to be able to live with what we do tomorrow?”

  Yoshi leaned closer to the fire, holding his hands near the small blaze for warmth. “Are you afraid we’re going to lose?”

  Osamu shook his head, a gesture he was certain was barely visible under the hood that he wore. Even here, with only his friend, he hid his face. Who knew who was out there watching, hiding in the camp disguised as a blade? The best defense against an assassin was secrecy.

  “No, we will win. It will be dangerous, but we have one of the largest assemblies of nightblades in history for this mission. Some of us will fall, but we will win. No, I’m more worried about the heart of the Kingdom if we do this thing.”

  Yoshi didn’t react to his statements, but Osamu could see that his friend was thinking the same thing. After another moment of silence, Yoshi responded.

  “It is not a good decision, but it is the best. If word gets out about what happens here tomorrow, it will be hard for us. But if word gets out about the village, the Kingdom would collapse immediately. In this, I agree with my father.”

  “Is it worth the cost?”

  Yoshi shrugged. “I do not know. I believe so. The Kingdom protects tens of thousands of citizens. It is not a good thing we do, but if the Kingdom requires the sacrifice of a hundred, I will make that sacrifice.”

  Osamu refilled their cups, and the pair sat together in silence. Osamu’s thoughts wandered aimlessly as he tried not to think about tomorrow. He had made tremendous sacrifices for the Kingdom, but nothing quite like this. Yoshi was correct, of course. The Kingdom was worth any cost, but rarely was the cost so high. Normally unshakable, Osamu was filled with dread over tomorrow’s task.

  “Yoshi?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you ever wonder if you will have the strength to be as good a king as your father?”

  Yoshi smiled and stood up. “Not often. Only with every breath I take from the moment I wake until the moment I fall back asleep.”

  Osamu grinned, knowing Yoshi would never see his reaction.

  Yoshi handed Osamu his cup back. “Get some rest, friend. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day.”

  Osamu sat with his commanders around a morning fire. The sun had just begun to peek above the horizon, and the day had dawned clear and cold. A part of Osamu had wished for rain to better suit the mood, but it wasn’t to be.

  They had considered a night raid. If their target had been a more traditional one, such a strategy would have been a wise decision. But the warriors were attacking a village where many nightblades lived, and their life force would be sensed from a distance no matter what time they attacked. At least daylight meant a better chance of avoiding mistakes.

  All the commanders and Osamu turned to Yoshi as he entered the circle. Yoshi bowed and waved away the attention. “I know my father appointed this command to me, but we all know Osamu is leading us.”

  The commanders grinned at Yoshi’s easy honesty, and Osamu thought they would be lucky someday when Yoshi became king.

  “The plan is simple in its design, but difficult in execution,” Osamu said. “Two Falls has its back to a cliff wall, and it’s not particularly easy to reach. The nightblades inside have begun very simple fortifications, but that shouldn’t prove to be a problem. The latest report from our shadow inside tells us that the walls are just beginning to go up and are easily crossed. Commanders, you know where you’re supposed to be attacking from. I want our first wave to wash over them in a heartbeat, fast and hard. I want the second wave ready to catch any stragglers. No one gets out of this village alive.”

  The commanders nodded, a grim look on their faces. Yoshi spoke up. “I know we are asking you to do a hard thing. The blades have never had to attack their own like this before, and I hope they never have to again. You all agreed to come, and you know nothing less than the future of the Kingdom is at stake here. First, from the depths of my heart, I thank you. Second, no one can escape. The village has women and children inside, many of whom aren’t gifted, but no one can survive today. If you can’t live with that, I understand, but I need to know now so that you don’t put our Kingdom at risk.”

  Silenc
e hung around the circle like a noose. The men and women knew what they had agreed to. They were blades, and killing warriors on the field of battle was what they had been raised from childhood to do. Now they were asked to end an entire village, to slay everyone, even those who could not fight. The Kingdom may have been at stake, but it was still challenging to find volunteers willing to stain their honor for such a mission.

  Osamu gave the final few orders. The commanders stood and bowed and went to prepare their fellow blades for battle.

  Osamu stood as well and laid a hand on Yoshi’s shoulder. Yoshi turned to look at him.

  “I want you to stay with the second wave, Yoshi.”

  The prince shook his head. “You know I can’t do that.”

  “Yoshi, I know you accept the risk to yourself, but I cannot. The Kingdom needs you. You’re a fine swordsman, but you’re hopelessly outclassed here. Even an unblooded nightblade would kill you. There’s no reason for you to ride in the front.”

  Yoshi bowed deeply to Osamu, and Osamu knew he had lost the argument.

  “I know the danger, friend. But today, of all days, I can’t be in the rear. I can’t order you all to do this while I sit back and watch.”

  Osamu understood. He didn’t like the prince’s response, but he understood. “I thought you might say as much. I’ve asked a dayblade from Takashi’s unit to be at your side for the entire battle. I also ask that you stay near me. I will do my best to protect you.”

  Yoshi bowed, and they went to find their horses.

  Osamu barely used his sight as they rode up toward the village of Two Falls. If he had, he might have been distracted by the natural beauty of the area. Two Falls was well off the beaten path, found near the top of a small valley in between rugged peaks. To each side of the valley, water cascaded down from the mountains, giving the village its name. If the village had more time to build its walls, the site would be a fortress to rival Stonekeep, House Kita’s family castle north of the blades’ current location.

  The location was picturesque, but it wasn’t on the way to anywhere. Under other circumstances Osamu might have enjoyed visiting the village—a collection of a few dozen huts, with a single three-story pagoda built to honor the Great Cycle.

  Even without using his sight, Osamu could discern much that was happening before him. He could sense all life in the village, could already feel the commotion he and his command were causing. Soon his sense was confirmed as they heard the peal of bells from the pagoda echoing down the valley. The blades wouldn’t be surprising the villagers, but they weren’t expecting to.

  He wished he knew more. The shadow, the nightblade spy the approaching blades had sent into Two Falls, had been there for some time, risking his life to get more information on the village. What they learned was stunning. Not only did the nightblades want to overthrow the government of the Kingdom, but everyone in the village was involved. The shadow reported that everyone, including women and children, was being trained in swordsmanship.

  Osamu had lived long enough to know that there was little in the world more dangerous than belief. This village was consumed by it.

  The blades didn’t use their horses to charge. The valley was long, and there wasn’t any way to sneak up on Two Falls. The location was well chosen. No matter how fast the oncoming warriors moved, the villagers would be ready by the time they arrived. Better to save energy for the combat to come.

  Osamu remained close to Yoshi near the head of the party. Next to them was Sachio, one of the few dayblades in the party. He would also remain near Yoshi in case the worst should come to pass.

  Osamu halted the horses just outside of arrow range. The blades dismounted and handed their horses to their peers, who would remain behind to make sure no stragglers escaped the village. Osamu took one last glance around, ensuring everyone was in place. Satisfied, he started forward, leading the calm walk toward the village.

  Arrows came arching down, but small shields protected the warriors well. The nightblades generally eschewed the use of shields, but Osamu had mandated their use for this attack. They had too much open field to cover, and he wouldn’t lose his men for honor’s sake. A few nightblades fell, but those who did were quickly healed by accompanying dayblades. Sachio tried to go help a fallen blade, but Osamu gently restrained him. The dayblade needed to stay close to the prince, even if such an act meant sacrificing other lives. Sachio glared at him but didn’t disobey.

  Before long they were at the walls that the village had just begun to erect. The nightblades leapt over the waist-high obstacles with ease, and the battle was joined in earnest.

  Osamu focused on the enemies directly in front of him. His sense told him that most were typical civilians, but there was one nightblade within sight of him. Osamu drew his sword as the blade came at him.

  Dueling another nightblade was always a challenge. The sense allowed a nightblade to know the moves of an opponent moments before they happened, and thus the victor of such a duel was the warrior whose sense was more refined and whose speed was greater.

  Fortunately, Osamu was both fast and skilled. The attacking nightblade made a solid cut that Osamu sidestepped. He responded with a cut of his own that the enemy nightblade sensed coming and stepped away from. The two passed again, neither making contact. On the third pass, steel met steel, and the enemy nightblade tried to overpower Osamu, aiming to force his blade to the side.

  Osamu gave up the centerline, and he saw the flicker of satisfaction pass over his enemy’s face. But like too many nightblades, his enemy forgot that combat involved more than a sword. Osamu stepped in before the nightblade could seize his advantage, driving his elbow into the man’s throat.

  The nightblade lost his focus as he struggled to breathe, and Osamu brought his sword around for a fatal cut. He didn’t pause to enjoy his victory, not for a moment. He immediately turned his attention to Yoshi, who was fending off three villagers in a vicious battle. Osamu stepped in, and a few moments later, the three villagers were on the ground, bleeding out. Yoshi, normally glib, bowed his appreciation to his friend.

  For the next few moments, they had cleared themselves a space. Osamu threw out his sense to feel how the battle was progressing. The fight was not easy, but he could tell the battle was moving deeper into the village, which meant his warriors were winning. But he also sensed the wave of villagers approaching the battle line.

  Osamu opened his eyes. He was skilled in the sense, far more than most, but even he had trouble keeping track of everything in a battle involving this many people, especially when he was in the center of the conflict. His heart sank when he saw that the incoming wave was made up of women and children.

  To the credit of the nightblades Osamu commanded, they didn’t falter, no matter how distasteful they found the task. The sound of steel against steel echoed against the stone walls of the valley.

  Another nightblade from the village found Osamu, but their duel was short. The nightblade was older and slower, and she was no match for Osamu’s speed.

  They were advancing a step at a time, but they were advancing. Osamu kept his sense open, trying to make sure his troops weren’t ambushed. Most people in the village were involved in combat. If Osamu’s warriors could make it through the next part of the battle, it would soon become a matter of simply cleaning up.

  Yoshi stepped into a hut, seeing something. Osamu didn’t question; he just followed. A family crouched inside, the mother a nightblade. She cut at Yoshi, but Osamu sensed the movement and was there before she could strike.

  The woman was fast, but Osamu was faster. He slipped inside her guard and cut through her with one smooth motion. Behind him, Yoshi killed the husband, a civilian according to Osamu’s sense.

  When the worst came to pass, Osamu wasn’t prepared. He had taken a breath and extended his sense. The sounds of battle outside were fading, and Osamu knew they were near the end.

  Osamu sensed the girl attack, but he wasn’t concerned. Yoshi was already resp
onding, and the prince was between Osamu and the girl. There wasn’t much Osamu could do.

  Then he heard a soft grunt, and Osamu’s well-ordered world fell apart. He sensed what had happened, but he didn’t believe his own gift. It couldn’t be right. His path unraveled in front of him, possibilities cut from the fabric of the future one heartbeat at a time. Yoshi hadn’t finished his cut.

  Yoshi turned around, a short sword embedded in his chest, a look of surprise and mirth on his face. Osamu’s mind slowed to a crawl. The stab was fatal. It had penetrated Yoshi’s heart.

  The girl came at Osamu unarmed, and some deep part of him, honed by cycles and cycles of training, numbed by shock, cut at her with one powerful blow, his mind not registering what he had done.

  A second thought pierced through his mental haze. Dayblades were nearby. If one got to Yoshi soon enough, they could still save his life. Sachio—he was supposed to be here. Osamu looked around, but he couldn’t see Sachio. He tried to use his sense, but he couldn’t summon the necessary focus.

  Osamu opened his mouth to scream, but Yoshi’s lips were moving, and Osamu wanted to hear his friend.

  “Never thought it would be a little girl that killed me. Always thought it would be politics.”

  Osamu, despite himself, laughed, but it was hollow and couldn’t last. His friend’s lifeblood was slipping through his fingers.

  He remembered there was still a chance. Osamu yelled for help, his voice echoing in the small hut.

  “Osamu?” asked Yoshi.

  “Yes?”

  “Will you show me your face?”

  Osamu didn’t hesitate. For the first time in cycles, in front of another, he drew back the hood that was a permanent fixture over his head. Yoshi looked for the first time upon the face of the man he had called a friend.

  Yoshi forced a grin. “Uglier than I thought you’d be.” The mirth was evident in his eyes.

  Osamu shook his head. “I don’t know if this is a good time for jokes.”

  Yoshi laughed, blood coming up through his mouth. The wound must have cut through his lungs. “Life is funny.”

  With that, the light faded from Yoshi’s eyes, and Osamu felt the prince’s energy return to the Great Cycle.